Roofing factory fume and solid waste disposal system

ABSTRACT

The solid wastes of combustible and noncombustible roofing material are comminuted in an attrition mill, fed to a surge bin, and then used as fuel in a solid waste and fume incinerator which also receives and ecologically incinerates the exhaust fumes from a saturator. A fume incinerator also receives saturator exhaust fumes along with effluent gas from the oxidizer of the factory, and ecologically incinerates the same with a minimum consumption of conventional fuel. The fume ducts from the saturator exhausts to the incinerators include a cross duct and switching valves for selectively controlling the flow of the saturator exhaust fumes from one or both saturators to one or both incinerators for optimum operational efficiency of the system in accordance with current production of the roofing factory. Granules resulting from the solid scrap incineration are washed and recovered for re-use.

United States Patent Johnson 1451 May 16, 1972 [54] ROOFING FACTORY FUME AND SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL SYSTEM Primary Examiner-Kenneth W. Sprague AttorneyW-alter C. Kehm and Martin Smolowitz [72] Inventor: Harry B. Johnson, Somervflle, NJ.

[73] Assignee: GAF Corporation, New York, NY. [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Aug. 18, 1970 The solid wastes of combustible and noncombustible roofing material are commmuted 1n an attrition mill, fed to a surge PP 64,706 bin, and then used as fuel in a solid waste and fume incinerator which also receives and ecologically incinerates the exhaust 52 US. 01. ..ll0/8 R, 1 10 15, 1 10 1 8 fumes mm a 53mm" A s Cinema 51 1m. (:1. ..F23g 7/00 exhaust fumes Y f s gas i 58 Field of Search ..110/7 R, s R, 8 A, 15, 18 R i factory and 'F Same a minimum consumption of conventional fuel. The fume ducts from the saturator exhausts to the incinerators include a cross [56] References cued duct and switching valves for selectively controlling the flow UNlTED STATES PATENTS of the saturator exhaust fumes from one or both saturators to one or both incinerators for optimum operational efficiency of 1,809,819 6/1931 Caller the system in accordance with current production of the roof- 1852313 9/ 1958 MacDonald ing factory. Granules resulting from the solid scrap incinera- 3 497J9O 2/1970 Moore tion are washed and recovered for re-use. 1,974,250 9/1934 Osborn ..l10/l5 3,304,894 2/1967 Cox et al ..1 10/15 5 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure To Stuck 6 Fan Al Section Heot er 54 44 56 I 62 Soturutor Fun ggy i Oxidizer Soturotor Fan il w Granules I8 I 3& Scrap 20 t 34 From Attrition l Storu e Factory 53:43; Mill Bin 70 E 3 22 32 l I 72 Screen I 24 28 ROOFING FACTORY FUME AND SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL SYSTEM This invention relates to factory waste disposal systems, and more particularly to the ecological incineration of solid and effluent gas wastes of roofing material factories.

Roofing material factories using paper, fiber, bituminous products, sand, gravel, talc, etc., have as a necessary byproduct solid wastes in the form of combustible material, effluent gas from the oxidizer, and exhaust fumes from the saturators that are used in the production of the roofing. The disposal of such solid wastes, as well as that of the saturator exhaust fumes, and oxidizer effluent gas has, in the past, been troublesome from an economical as well as an ecological standpoint, due to the noxious nature of such fumes and effluent gas, as well as the products of combustion involved in the simple burning of the solid wastes that are combustible. In the past such gas products have simply been discharged from stacks high enough to be blown away by air currents.

The main object of this invention is to dispose of the solid wastes and saturator exhaust fumes, as well as the oxidizer effluent gas in an ecologically sound manner with as much efiiciency as is possible by utilizing the combustible components of such waste material.

Another object is to provide a novel system for accomplishing such main object, that is simply effective, and adjustable to accommodate the current operations of the factory.

A further object is to provide a roofing factory waste disposal system in which such wastes are used to at least partially fuel incinerators having an ecologicially clean effluent which is discharged through a stack to the atmosphere.

A still further object is to provide such a system which produces noncombustible granules that are washed, screened, and then reusable in the producing of roofing in the factory.

According to the invention fumes from one saturator and the oxidizer are twinned together and ducted to one of two incinerators. This unit is equipped to incinerate these fumes by using convention fuels.

Fumes from the other saturator are ducted to a second incinerator. This unit is completely equipped to fire both the prepared roofing wastes or conventional fuels to incinerate the infed fumes.

A provision in this system allows either incinerator to accept fumes from either saturator by means of a by-pass damper, should one unit be taken out of service for any reason.

Also the second incinerator may be operated either as a straight fume incinerator or as a straight solid waste incinerator with equal effectiveness. Only one of the two incinerators is equipped to handle solid wastes at this time.

The balance of the system is composed of the solid waste handling equipment which acts to convey, reduce, store and then meter the roofing wastes to the second incinerator for combustion. Wastes are unloaded from lift trucks directly to a loading table or platform at the head of a loading conveyor. They are then conveyed to an attrition mill and reduced to a uniform particle size. From the mill, the wastes are conveyed to a storage or surge tank from which they are unloaded and metered to the infeed of the second incinerator. Tabs are automatically conveyed to the mill feed hopper and processed along with the other wastes.

The complete system effectively and efficiently disposes of roofing wastes and incinerates the saturator and oxidizer fumes to insure a clear and odorless effluent to the atmosphere.

Also the granules left by the second incinerator are suitable after washing and screening for reuse in the factory for the production of new roofing.

Considerable savings are achieved by the invention, including: 1) available roofing scrap provies at least part of the fuel required for complete fume incineration. (2) The volume of residual (incinerated) still solid waste is substantially reduced. (3) Such residual (incinerated) still solid waste is easily recoverable for reuse.

Where felt and roofing operations are combined in the same plant the incinerator stack exhaust heat is utilized to provide supplemental heated air for the vapor absorption system in the felt section of the plant.

In the drawing:

The single FIGURE is a flow diagram of a system illustrative of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, saturators l0 and 12, and oxidizer l4 constitute components of a roofing factory which also includes a felt section 16. A by-product of the factory is scrap, including tabs which may be termed'solid waste that contains combustible material used in making the roofing products. The scrap from the factory is loaded on a platform 18 for movement by a conveyor 20 to an attrition mill 22. The tabs 24 and 26 are also moved by conveyors 28 and 30 onto the conveyor 20 which, in turn, carries them to the mill 22. The output of mill 22 goes to a surge or storage bin 32 on a conveyor 34, and from the bin 32 to a fuel input of incinerator 36 by a suitable conveyor 38.

Fume exhaust blowers or fans 40 and 42 are associated with the saturators 10 and 12, respectively, and are connected by ducts 44 and 46 to incinerators 48 and 36, respectively. A cross duct 50 having a damper or valve 52, is connected to the ducts 44 and 46 for selectively separating, or putting the latter ducts in communication with each other. The ducts 44 and 46 are also provided with switching valves 54 and 56, and 58 and 60 at opposite sides of the cross duct 52 for selectively controlling the flow of exhaust fumes from either one or both saturators 10, 12, to either one or both of the incinerators 36, 48.

The efiluent gas from the oxidizer 14 flows to the incinerator 46 through a duct 62. The effluent of the incinerator 48 goes to a suitable stack or chimney by way of an air heater 64 from which the heated air flows by way of a duct 66 to the felt section 16 of the factory, providing auxiliary heat for the vapor absorption system of such felt section 16.

Residual noncombustible granules produced as a byproduct of the incinerator 36, are collected at station 68, then washed and screened at stations 70 and 72, respectively, for reuse from a station 74 where they are finally collected for such purpose.

Effluent from the incinerator 38 go directly to an individual stack from effluent outlet 76. Such effluent as well as that of incinerator 48 going to its stack through outlet 78, is ecologically clean due to complete combustion of the exhaust fumes, and the oxidizer effluent gas, as well as all of the combustible material contained in the solid wastes that are fed to the incinerators 36 and 42. The residual granules of incinerator 36 are also ecologically clean even before washing by virtue of the operation of the complete incinerator 36. 4

Briefly, the illustrated system of the invention efficiently functions to dispose of the solid wastes in the form of various roofing scrap, and incinerates the saturator exhaust fumes, as well as the oxidizer effluent gas. The system takes full advantage of the fuel valve of the roofing scrap, and also incorporates heat recovery to minimize the consumption of conventional fuel. The resulting stack effluent is ecologically acceptable, and the noncombustible solids are reclaimed. Furthermore, the system is adjustable to handle any waste material that is available as a result of the particular roofing product being made at the time by the factory. Thus, such waste is taken care of efficiently and ecologically by the system regardless of such particular roofing product. Changeover to another type of roofing product requires merely the adjustment of the duct switching valves, as well as adjustment of conventional fuel and air (or oxygen) supplied to the incinerators to bring about complete combustion, and the resulting, clean stack efiluent.

What is claimed is: g

1. An incineration system for the ecological disposal of the effluent fumes and solid wastes of a roofing material factory having at least two saturators and an oxidizer, comprising, in combination: I

a first complete incinerator;

a second complete incinerator,

separate fume ducts for conducting exhaust fumes from said saturators to each of said incinerators;

a fume transfer duct having a damper for connecting said fume ducts; and

fume-flow switching valve means in said fume ducts for selectively controlling the direction and relative flow of exhaust fumes from either one as well as both of said saturators to either one as well as both of said incinerators.

2. The invention as defined by claim 1, which includes means for supplying fuel to said second incinerator comprisconveyor means for carrying roofing scrap containing combustible material from the factory to a scrap milling station,

an attrition mill at said station for comminuting such scrap;

a storage bin for receiving the comminuted scrap output of said mill; and

means for feeding comminuted scrap from said bin into said second incinerator, whereby the combustible com- 'an air heater associated with the hot stack effluent of said first incinerator, and means for ducting the heated air from said heater to said felt section to provide auxiliary heated air for such vapor absorption system.

l l i 

1. An incineration system for the ecological disposal of the effluent fumes and solid wastes of a roofing material factory having at least two saturators and an oxidizer, comprising, in combination: a first complete incinerator; a second complete incinerator, separate fume ducts for conducting exhaust fumes from said saturators to each of said incinerators; a fume transfer duct having a damper for connecting said fume ducts; and fume-flow switching valve means in said fume ducts for selectively controlling the direction and relative flow of exhaust fumes from either one as well as both of said saturators to either one as well as both of said incinerators.
 2. The invention as defined by claim 1, which includes means for supplying fuel to said second incinerator comprising conveyor means for carrying roofing scrap containing combustible material from the factory to a scrap milling station, an attrition mill at said station for comminuting such scrap; a storage bin for receiving the comminuted scrap output of said mill; and means for feeding comminuted scrap from said bin into said second incinerator, whereby the combustible components thereof act as auxiliary fuel in the production of an ecologically clean stack effluent which is discharged therefrom.
 3. The invention as defined by claim 2, which includes means for washing and screening residual solid granules resulting from incineration of the roofing scrap, for reuse thereof in the factory.
 4. The invention as defined by claim 1, including a duct for conducting effluent gas from said oxidizer to said first incinerator.
 5. The invention as defined by claim 1, in which the factory includes a felt section having a vapor absorption system, an air heater associated with the hot stack effluent of said first incinerator, and means for ducting the heated air from said heater to said felt section to provide auxiliary heated air for such vapor absorption system. 